Everything Gets Complicated
by idontlikegravy
Summary: Highlander the Raven fic. Nick goes to Liam's church to discuss his future, but a face from his past could mean trouble...
1. Blast From the Past

**A/N:** _While this fic stands on its own, it is a follow on from Not as Bad as I Thought_.

_Disclaimer: Highlander the Raven isn't mine, nor are the characters you recognise, they belong to Davis-Panzer, I'm just playing with them_.

**Everything Gets Complicated**

In the apartment above Sanctuary, Nick sat at the window, staring out at the bright night of Paris, lost in thought. He'd been back a little over a month now, and had begun training in earnest, but so much was still unresolved.

He'd been so happy to see Amanda, so glad to be back, that he'd left all the arguments and recriminations in Liam's church. Nick looked across at her sleeping form on the bed and smiled. He couldn't be angry with her, not any more, Liam had been right. There was no point wasting decades or centuries being mad at her.

"Centuries," Nick muttered with a shake of his head. Immortality was still a huge kick in the head. He needed to talk to someone, and Amanda wasn't the one to go to; he needed a priest.

Nick walked around for a while, trying to sort his thoughts and feelings so he'd at least be able to express them to Liam, but he was unsuccessful. Finally, as the first rays of light dawned, he gave up trying and headed to Liam's church.

When he arrived at the church, Nick followed the Buzz to the office where Liam was laying out his vestments for morning Mass. He smiled when Nick poked his head around the door.

"Morning, Nick. I wondered who could be calling on me so early," Liam greeted him warmly. Nick raised his hand in reply.

"You're busy, I should come back later."

"Not at all. Mass isn't for another hour yet," Liam replied, setting aside his cassock and giving Nick his full attention. "What can I do for you?" he added, leading Nick through to his office and indicating for him to sit down. Nick did so and sat in awkward silence as Liam sat in his chair, trying to find the words to start.

"It's just…" Nick began, but then faltered. He grunted in frustration. "I don't know Liam, it's all so… I mean, Immortality…"

Liam nodded sympathetically.

"Wrapping your head around the idea of Immortality probably seemed a lot easier when it was happening to other people. Am I right?" he said with a wry smile. Nick nodded.

"It was still a shock, but it wasn't me that would live forever. I thought I was going to have a normal life. Maybe get married again one day, have some kids…" Nick tailed off again and shrugged. "But now nothing makes any sense. I've been living on autopilot for the last ten years, hoping that one day I'd figure it all out. That I'd wake up and realise how to be Immortal."

Liam chuckled at that, so Nick glared at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Nick, I don't mean to laugh. But none of us have figured out how to be Immortal, just like nobody knows how to be mortal. We just are. Like I told you a few weeks back, we aren't that different from mortals. We're lucky enough to get the chance to correct our mistakes, to take the time to learn from them, but we're all just living life for as long as we have it," Liam explained.

"Eat, drink and be merry; for tomorrow we die. Is that it?" Nick demanded, his tone sounding angry.

"I wouldn't put it quite like that, but in essence. Enjoy the wonders of Immortality, Nick. Enjoy life. Prepare for the Game, but try to avoid it."

Nick stood up and began pacing the office.

"What if I don't want to? I should have died that day, maybe I should just let the next Immortal take my head," he said. Liam didn't reply, he just sat in his chair, watching Nick walk up and down. After a moment, Nick stopped in his tracks, suddenly struck by a thought. "All those conversations we had. You were trying to prepare me, weren't you?"

Liam grinned sheepishly and nodded.

"I very rarely talk in the abstract, Nick. But sometimes it takes a while to see my point," he replied. Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Well, thank you, but it didn't work. Or, I don't know, maybe if the circumstances of my first death had been different…" Nick said and shook his head as if that would make his thoughts fall into place. Liam stood up and walked over to him, placing his hands on Nick's shoulders and looking him in the eye.

"You were better prepared for all this than most. And you're a good man, Nick Wolfe; you will do good things with your Immortality. That much I'm certain of," he said before dropping his hands and taking a step back. "Maybe restart what you were doing with Amanda before, helping people. It's what you know best," Liam suggested as he walked back to his seat.

This time, Nick sat in the chair opposite and the pair stayed in thoughtful silence for a few minutes; Nick mulling over what Liam had said, and Liam waiting for Nick to speak.

"Do you think we can?" Nick said eventually. "Go back to what we had before, I mean. And I'm not talking about the Game; that was part of our lives since I've known her. But everything between us has changed. I'm her student now, we're lovers, and my Immortality…the dynamic between us has changed."

"So find a new one."

Nick began to retort, but stopped and thought about Liam's words. He began to answer, but they both felt the approach of another Immortal. They stood up and headed into the church.

"Probably Amanda," Nick said.

"Oh, aye, just come by for confessional, I expect," Liam replied with amusement.

They rounded the corner to see that it wasn't Amanda; it was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, though of course that meant nothing. Liam smiled in greeting and stepped forward to meet the man, but Nick stopped dead in his tracks, too stunned to move.

"Eric! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Liam said warmly.

"Just passing through, thought I'd come and…" Eric began cheerfully, but tailed off when he saw Nick. "You!" he said and started toward Nick.

"You're Immortal?!" they both declared.

Liam looked at the two in a mixture of amusement and bewilderment.

"You two know each other?" he asked.

"He should do," replied Eric. "He killed me."

*-*

_Chicago 1996_

_Nick took another drink of coffee and then rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really hated late night stakeouts. He and Claudia had several stupid games to while away the hours, but she was on maternity leave and the jackass he'd been saddled with as a temporary partner had no sense of humour._

_Eric Thompson was wanted for questioning in relation to a string of robberies that had happened in jewellery stores across the city in the last year. He and Claudia had been on the case for weeks, and she desperately wanted to postpone her leave until they caught the bastard, but it had dragged on and on, until she had no choice._

_So here he was, night three and hour seven of what was becoming an epic stakeout. He felt his eyelids begin to droop and slapped his cheeks to wake himself up. As he looked up, he spotted a figure in the shadows across the street, moving toward the suspect's house in a way probably intended to be stealthy, but which only drew attention._

_Nick poked the sleeping Phillips beside him until he woke and pointed to the shadowy figure. _

"_I think our guy's arrived," he said. Phillips sat up straight in the chair._

"_About damn time," he answered. _

_Nick nodded and quietly got out of the car and Phillips did the same. They both discreetly crossed the street, moving to intercept the suspect, one in front and one behind. As he drew nearer, Nick could see that it was indeed Eric Thompson. Thompson spotted Nick approaching and got nervous, looking around he spotted Phillips behind him and reached into his coat, drawing out a semi-automatic pistol._

"_Gun!" Nick cried, pulling his own weapon and dropping into a firing stance. From the corner of his eye, he was aware of Phillips doing the same thing. "Eric Thompson, you're under arrest for armed robbery, you have the right…"_

_Before Nick could continue to read Thompson his MIRANDA rights Thompson opened fire, his shot going wild and hitting the lamppost three feet away. On instinct, Nick returned fire, plugging Thompson three times. Thompson dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes and Phillips ran up to him while Nick covered him with his gun. Phillips kicked away Thompson's gun before checking for a pulse. He looked up at Nick and shook his head, so Nick lowered his gun._

"_Dammit," he said and sighed. It needn't have gone down like this, they only wanted to question the guy. He looked down at the body and sighed again. Claudia hated it when he screwed up._

_*-*_

"It was a clean shoot. You can't hold that against me," Nick said in surprise. He wasn't happy about becoming Immortal, but he couldn't believe anyone would want to take his head for killing them.

"Like hell I can't, you took my life! My job, my wife, my money…"

"It wasn't your money," Nick replied.

"You're just lucky this is Holy Ground," Eric said.

"Eric! Please," Liam interjected and ushered Eric toward his office before returning to Nick.

"I'll talk to him; try to make him see sense. Please, Nick, for my sake, don't…"

"Hey, I'm not the one holding a grudge. If he stays away from me, I'll stay away from him. But if he challenges me, Liam, I will defend myself," Nick replied. Liam nodded his understanding.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," he said and headed after Eric. Nick watched him leave before heading up the aisle to the main door.

"So do I, Liam. So do I."


	2. Like Old Times

Had Nick known what that morning had in store for him, he would have never left Sanctuary. Hell, he wouldn't have gotten out of bed. First Liam was of next to no help, although Nick had to admit he felt a little better about everything than he had previously. Next was the surprise reunion with Eric Thompson who was apparently Immortal and blaming Nick for his crappy life. This was followed quickly by what was essentially his first challenge.

Then to Nick's shock he found himself basically accepting that challenge.

So it was no surprise at all to Nick that when he returned to Sanctuary he found Amanda sitting at the bar, chatting with Bert Myers.

"Long time, no see," Bert said. "You never call, you never write…"

"Yeah, yeah," Nick replied as he went behind the bar and made himself an espresso.

"What is it?" Amanda asked, laying a hand on his. Nick hadn't realised his troubles were that obvious, so he schooled his face into a suitably bland expression before replying.

"Later. So, what brings you to Paris, Myers?"

"I was actually looking for you, Nick," he replied. Nick raised an eyebrow and looked to Amanda, who shrugged. "I'd heard you were back in town. Don't worry, I don't care why you vanished ten years ago, and I certainly don't care why you decided to resurface. But I do have a job for you, if you're interested."

"Why me?"

"Both of you, actually. This is…personal and believe it or not you two are the people I trust most," Bert replied sheepishly and took a sip of his own drink.

"I don't believe it," Nick replied. Bert shrugged.

"Like I said, believe it or not. There's a former KGB agent who has a bit of a grudge against me, and he has some damaging material on me that I need the two of you to retrieve for me," he explained. As he talked, Amanda and Nick threw each other disbelieving looks. They'd both been tricked by Myers too often to trust what he was saying.

On the other hand, he clearly was worried about something, and he had asked them for help. Nick couldn't speak for Amanda, but he considered Bert a friend of sorts. Plus he sort of owed the man for running out without a word. He looked to Amanda again and she was already smiling and Nick knew that she was picturing the two of them working together again.

_What the hell,_ he thought. _It's not like we can get hurt, and it would be fun to get back in the saddle again._ And it would be a good time to test Liam's idea that they could start up the business again.

"Did I mention he has a large collection of Faberge eggs?" Bert added as further inducement. Nick smiled, knowing that Amanda was bound to be hooked now. He held out his hand to Bert.

"Give me whatever file you've got on this guy. We'll do it."

"Thanks, guys, I'll owe you," Bert said with a smile and handed Nick a dossier before standing up and leaving.

Nick began leafing through the folder, examining the details of the job and Amanda walked around to stand beside him and look at the file.

"So…?" she said

"Seems simple enough," Nick replied.

"Not the job," Amanda said impatiently and snatched the file from his hands. "I meant whatever had you rattled when you walked in. What's wrong?"

"Oh," Nick smirked. "Immortal business," he replied.

"Very funny. Now, spill."

"It was nothing, just some guy I shot back in Chicago turned out to be Immortal. He blames me for wrecking his life and he wants my head," Nick said casually, heading toward the apartment, Amanda in tow. She grabbed him by the arm.

"What?! A challenge?! That's not nothing!" she protested.

"Relax, Liam's talking to him, I'm sure I probably won't even see the guy again. At least not for a century or so," Nick replied, his tone heavy with sarcasm. "And he's only been Immortal a few years longer than me, I can probably take him."

"Probably?" Amanda began, then realised what he'd said. "So you would…take him I mean?"

Nick turned to give her his full attention and thought seriously about the question for a moment.

"I think I would, if I had no choice. I don't want anything to do with your stupid Game, Amanda, but I've never backed down from a fight. If Thompson does catch up with me again, and I can't talk him down, then I would fight and I'd fight to win," he answered.

"I'm glad to hear that, Nick. I've only just got you back, I'd hate to lose you again," Amanda replied in a rare moment of honesty. Nick smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied. Amanda looked solemn, but then her face broke into one of her conniving grins. Nick thought he recognised the thought behind it. "Except down to the basement to practise, right?" he said with a resigned sigh. Amanda nodded.

"But if you're a good boy, there might be a treat in it for you later," she said.

"You're a cruel but fair taskmaster, Amanda Darieux."

*-*

That very night, Nick and Amanda were perched on a ledge outside a first floor window of a chateau two hours south of Paris. They had entered the property easily enough; Derenkov, the former KGB agent and now prominent businessman, was in St Petersburg for a meeting and wouldn't return for two more days.

Amanda had located the safe and begun to work her magic when they heard voices outside. They knew there was security on the premises, but the intel Bert had given them had indicated that they did not patrol the house. With nowhere to hide and no time to escape, the pair of Immortals had ducked out of the nearest window, which was how they found themselves on a ledge, yet again.

"Remind me to kick Myers' ass when I see him again," Amanda hissed.

"Join the queue," Nick whispered back. He leaned cautiously to his right and peered through the window. "All clear," he added and quietly opened the window to climb back inside.

Amanda followed him in and crept back to the safe. Nick resumed his position near her, where he could shine a torch on the safe and keep a watch on the door. In under a minute, Amanda had the safe open and the relevant files safely tucked in her bag. She then reached in to take the dozen gold and enamel eggs that were also in the safe.

"Amanda!" Nick warned.

"What? I think we deserve a kickback from this. Besides, this guy probably stole them himself," she replied, placing the eggs gently into her bag.

"Two wrongs do not make a right," Nick answered as he knelt down and reached into the bag. Amanda rolled her eyes.

"Lighten up, Nick. Look, if only the files are missing, then Derenkov will know that Myers was responsible for the break-in. If the eggs are gone too, then he'll be looking for regular burglars," she said testily, and slapped his hand so he would let go of the egg he was holding. He put it back in the bag and sighed.

"Fine, but hurry up, those guards might come back."


	3. All in the Preparation

The following morning, Amanda was sitting at the bar of Sanctuary, before opening, admiring the craftsmanship of her latest acquisitions and wondering who she knew in Paris that could handle a dozen Faberge eggs and, more importantly, give her a good price for them.

She looked up as she felt the approach of another Immortal, her eyes going first to the door that led to the upstairs apartment. When Nick didn't appear, she turned and then smiled when Liam came into view.

"Morning, Amanda," he said warmly.

"Good morning," she replied as she stood and made her way behind the bar. "Coffee?" she asked and turned her back on Liam to start up the machine.

"Mm, please. Is Nick about?"

Amanda looked back at Liam and pouted.

"You mean you're not here to see me? I'm so disappointed," she said before smiling and turning back to the coffee machine. "He's upstairs. Probably still asleep, we were working until late."

"So I see," Liam commented, picking up one of the eggs from the bar. "So he took my suggestion?"

"What suggestion?" Amanda asked as she placed two cappuccinos on the bar in front of him.

"Nick was wondering about getting a job, and I suggested the two of you could take up what you were doing before," he answered.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Amanda said and returned to her seat. "I mean, we're getting along really well at the moment, but if we were working together again…"

The conversation was derailed as they both felt the approach of another Immortal, before the man in question entered from the apartment. Sleepily, he smiled and gave Liam a little wave, presumably not capable of speech at present. When Nick reached the bar, Amanda passed him her coffee and he drank it greedily. The effect was instantaneous and near magical, and Nick once more became a coherent and functioning member of society.

"Not a morning person then, Nick?" Liam asked with amusement. Nick grinned before taking the stool next to Amanda. "Listen, I came to warn you. Eric wouldn't listen, he's gunning for your head," Liam added, growing serious again. Nick nodded and shrugged.

"Paris is a big city, what are the chances of him finding me again?"

Amanda slapped his arm, hard, making him wince.

"About doubled now you've said that!" she said. "This is serious, Nick. Get down to the basement, now."

"Before breakfast?" Nick said, sounding like a petulant child. Amanda just stared at him with steely determination until he relented. "Yes ma'am," he said as he stood and threw her a salute before turning smartly on his heel and marching toward the training room.

"Liam, promise me you'll do everything you can to keep them apart. Nick's not ready," Amanda said and placed a hand on Liam's arm. He nodded and placed his hand over hers.

"I'll do what I can. But face it, love, how many Immortals do you know have gone a whole decade without a single challenge?" Liam reasoned. "You can't protect him from the Game forever."

"I can damn well try," Amanda muttered. Liam chuckled and pecked Amanda on the cheek before getting up and heading toward the door. He paused and turned back to her.

"Are you worried he's not ready, or that he doesn't want to be ready?"

"A little of both, I guess."

Liam walked back and laid his hands on hers again.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure of it," he said gently and then turned to walk out. "Just have faith!" he called over his shoulder as he left. Amanda huffed and then smiled before she too got up and followed after Nick.

Shortly after they'd bought Sanctuary, Amanda had discovered Korda's training room. With so many Immortals in his little group, it really didn't surprise her that he had such a well supplied place to train. He would never know if or when one of them would decide to stop being afraid of him and take a swing at his neck. She'd made a few changes, added some mirrors and made it more suited to her style of fighting; plus she installed a punchbag for Nick.

She watched him as he moved through the positions she had taught him with the sword he'd stolen from her ten years ago. He hadn't been kidding when he told her he knew how to fence. He had been nowhere near the par of most Immortals, but he had been good for someone born in the twentieth century. Fencing was not fighting for your life though, and it meant he had to unlearn all the etiquette he'd been taught at school before she could even begin to teach him.

He was a fast learner, and he'd not been idle this last decade; his body still moved with the savage grace of a boxer, muscle memory working as hard as the one in his head until the sword moves she'd taught him had become second nature.

As she watched him shadow fence, she felt a surge of pride at how quickly he'd developed, but she still couldn't help but worry at how he'd fare in a challenge.

"Admiring the view?" he said as he continued. Amanda had to admit that it was a nice view; he'd always had a cute ass and he preferred practising with his shirt off. Something she was keen not to discourage.

"You're dropping your right shoulder, and you leave your neck open too often," she said eventually. "But it's coming on well."

He stopped and smiled at her.

"I had a good teacher," he said. She grinned and then drew her own sword.

"Knowing the moves is one thing. In a real fight, you need to improvise, think on your feet to survive. En garde!" she commanded and fell into a ready stance. Nick did likewise and the two circled each other for a moment.

Amanda thrust her blade forward, a testing blow, and one that Nick easily parried so she struck twice more in quick succession. Nick parried those too without difficulty, knocking her sword aside and coming in for his own lunge.

Amanda danced back before the sword could touch her and brought her own around in an arc, only to be intercepted by Nick's blade.

"Not bad at all," she said. Nick nodded at the compliment, but he didn't lower his guard. Pleased by that, Amanda let loose a ferocious barrage of blows, using all her acrobatic skills to gain momentum that she channelled down the sword to give power to her strikes.

Nick was able to deflect most of the attack, but he was on the defensive, unable to land any blows of his own, and at least once her blade connected with his flesh. But then Nick seemed to gather himself and he began to strike back, although he wasn't cutting Amanda.

"You're holding back. Don't, I won't break," she panted. In answer, Nick flicked his blade in a way she hadn't taught him; it caught her off guard and he slipped through her defences, nicking her left shoulder. "Better."

Using his height against him, she slipped under him and got in close, grabbing his neck with her free hand and drawing him in for a kiss. Stunned, Nick stopped fighting and kissed her back, dropping the sword in the process. Exactly what she'd been waiting for. She pulled back and swept her leg around, knocking him flat on his ass before pointing her sword at him.

"You cheated."

"Of course I did," she said, offering him a hand up. "Immortals don't fight fair. Well, not all of us, anyway."

"So you're saying I should cheat?" he replied with a grin once he was on his feet. He leaned down to pick up the sword he'd dropped, but Amanda stopped him. He looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

"I think that sword's too short for you," she said before heading over to a locker in the corner. She opened it and pulled out an ornate sword box. "I was hoping for a slightly more romantic moment, but considering the circumstances I think this is the right time."

She walked back to Nick and held the box out to him. Tentatively he undid the latches and eased open the lid before he reached out his hand to touch the sword within. A second later he pulled back his hand and gave her one of his suspicious cop looks.

"Where did you get this?" he asked. She chuckled.

"Relax, it's perfectly legal. It belonged to one of my dearest friends. When he died, he left me the sword. Now I would like you to have it," she explained. Nick's expression softened into one of love and gratitude and he took the sword from the case almost reverently.

"Thank you," he said and leaned over the case to kiss her.

Nick sat in his office, his new sword in his hand. He marvelled at the beauty of it; this wasn't just a weapon, it was a work of art. He didn't know a great deal about swords, he guessed it was called a rapier; it was the kind of sword guys like Errol Flynn used to wave about, or Inigo Montoya in iThe Princess Bride/i. That was the most accurate comparison Nick could think of; the hilt was an intricate series of overlapping strands of metal that formed a kind of cage over the wielder's hand. Unlike Montoya's sword, there were neither jewels encrusted into the metal or any gold plating; instead there was a beautiful vine pattern etched into the hilt that extended in both directions to the pommel and onto the first inch of the blade.

Amanda had gifted it to him, and it was beautiful, but now he would have to use it to kill if he wanted to survive. He knew he was capable of taking a head; after all he had done it before. But he had been fuelled by hate and revenge then, could he really do it just to preserve his own life?

He had a suspicion that if the circumstances were right then he could. The thought bothered him. He laid the sword on the desk in front of him and began to rub the bridge of his nose to alleviate a headache that wasn't even there.

Deciding to talk to Liam again, Nick got to his feet. He hesitated for a moment before picking up the sword.

"She's scared, Nick. Scared that you won't even try to win," Liam reasoned as he bounced the basketball on the court. Nick made a lunge for it, but Liam sidestepped him and threw the ball toward the hoop.

"Still? What does she think I've been busting my butt for?" Nick said and shook his head. The ball missed the hoop and Nick leapt to catch it before Liam. "She's the one dragged me into this mess."

"That was a low blow, Nick. Look, I know that might seem selfish of her…" Liam began but Nick stopped the play and interrupted.

"At first I did think she had been selfish, that was what made me so angry at her. But then I had plenty of time to think things over; hell, think was all I did at first. I realised that there had been plenty of times that I was shot at, or someone tried to blow me up, or stab me and all Amanda had to do was nothing and I'd have died. But she kept saving me. And now I know that she was trying to keep me mortal for as long as she could."

"That doesn't sound like the act of a selfish woman," Liam agreed.

"I still think she did the wrong thing, but I realised that it was for the right reasons and I can't be mad at her for that, Liam."

"But have you told her that?" he said and with a grin he snatched the ball from Nick, turned and with a flick of his wrist put the ball through the hoop.

"This Thompson, you know him well?" Nick said. He picked up the ball and passed it to Liam who tucked it under his arm.

"Eric? Not especially, I found him just before I met you. You're changing the subject."

"Humour me."

Game over, the two wandered toward a bench just outside the church and sat down.

"He was just wandering about the world, completely oblivious to what he was. He thought he was in purgatory. I set him straight and found him a teacher. He pops by occasionally for a chat, but other than that I hardly see him," Liam explained. Nick nodded thoughtfully. "You're looking for a reason to kill him."

"That obvious, huh?" Nick grinned sheepishly at Liam before looking down at the ground.

"Even if you do have to fight him, you don't have to take his head, Nick. Fight and win and you can show mercy."

"And he just walks away, honour satisfied? This isn't the 17th century, Liam, and we're not gentlemen duelling. I know next to nothing about the guy, but what I do know is he's a criminal," Nick answered. Liam placed a hand on Nick's shoulder, making him look up and meet his gaze.

"So was Amanda when you met her. Doesn't mean they don't have honour."


	4. Avoidance

Nick sat at his desk, fingers steepled, and stared at a picture of Eric Thompson on the computer screen in front of him. He'd gone over the guy's rap sheet a dozen times and almost knew it by heart. He had a juvie record for petty theft and a couple of DUIs but other than the jewellery robberies he'd never been involved in anything major. And he'd never hurt anybody. Nick could see no reason to take Eric's head. He only hoped that if the time came, he'd be able to reason with the man.

He was disturbed by the sound of the door opening and looked up to see Bert Myers poking his head round the door.

"Hey, buddy!" he greeted with a grin.

"Hey yourself. I figured you'd be back in the States by now," Nick replied and swivelled the chair so he could follow Bert's progress into the room.

"Well, I was thinking. You know, I'm not getting any younger and all this jetlag is a pain in the ass. And Amanda mentioned that you needed work, so I thought you could maybe take over the European operations for me again," he explained as he dropped into the chair on the opposite side of the desk from Nick.

"Did she put you up to this? Because I'm not a charity."

"Hey, it's no skin off my nose. Frankly, I'm worried you're going to disappear again, but she promised you were back for good," Bert answered. "You are, aren't you?"

"I'm not planning on leaving town again," Nick answered with a small smile. He paused, pretending to think about the offer. "Sure, why not."

"That's great; the guy who replaced you was an idiot. Fresh out of Quantico, decided he didn't want to work for the FBI after all. Guy thought he knew everything, knew nothing. So, same terms as before, right?"

"As long as you adjust for inflation, sure," Nick said with a smile. Bert glared at him then chuckled and wagged his finger at him.

"You drive a hard bargain, Nick Wolfe. Now, about your first assignment."

Nick scanned the crowd, blinking from the flash bulbs of the paparazzi cameras as he tried to see past them for potential threats. Security detail for an actress at the Cannes Film Festival wasn't challenging work, he had plenty of people on his team who could have done as good a job, but he was grateful for the opportunity to get out of Paris. Hopefully by the time he returned, Eric Thompson would be somebody else's problem. Besides, as Hollywood actresses went, Natalie Stanton was really down to earth and friendly; the assignment was actually a pleasure.

Amanda had insisted on coming along; he wasn't entirely certain why as she had definitely been to the film festival before. She kept regaling him with stories of her exploits and famous conquests every time they passed a café or bar or street corner that she remembered fondly. He figured she was watching out for him and it was kind of cute; annoying, but cute. He hadn't liked it when he was mortal and he certainly wasn't going to put up with it for long now he was Immortal.

He escorted his charge safely to her limousine, where another team of his people were waiting to take her to her hotel and watch over her for the night. Job done for the day, Nick relaxed, only to tense again as he felt the approach of another Immortal. Hoping it was Amanda he looked around for her and smiled as he spotted her. She waved and made her way through the press, pausing to have her photograph taken before she eventually reached him.

"Goodness! Our friend is certainly popular," she commented, a little out of breath, before she leaned up and pecked him on the cheek.

"Not with everyone, or else we wouldn't be here," Nick replied dryly. He wrapped an arm around her waist and escorted her away from the theatre toward the water. "So, where are we eating tonight?"

"I booked us a table at a little place I know just out of town. It used to serve the most exquisite Basque salt cod dish. Of course I haven't been there since about 1976, but places like that don't change much," she replied.

"Sounds wonderful," Nick said and let her launch into an anecdote about her and Robert Redford as they walked along. He smiled, truly happy for the first time in a really long time, probably for the first time since Lauren died.

"Penny for them," Amanda said and Nick realised that she'd stopped talking some time ago. He grinned apologetically.

"I was just thinking how you were right," he said. Amanda stopped walking and turned to stand in front of him, a look of shock on her face.

"I'm sorry, did you just say I was right?" she said and smirked. She looked at her watch. "I just want to mark the time and date so I remember this moment. Now, what am I right about?"

Nick smiled wider and put his arm back around Amanda, turning her back in the direction they were going and walking forward.

"Being Immortal. It's not so bad."

Amanda leaned her head onto his shoulder and he could feel her muscles move as she smiled.

"Told you so."

The following afternoon, Nick and Amanda were escorting Natalie from a lunch date back to her hotel. She had decided to walk the short distance in order to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, and Nick was having a difficult time keeping the paparazzi at a safe distance. He was a few feet from Natalie, pushing one of them out of her way, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone dart forward.

It was a young man in his mid-twenties, medium height and build and wearing jeans and a grey hooded sweatshirt that was at odds in the heat of Cannes. Knowing something was wrong, Nick started back toward his charge and as he did the man pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans.

"Gun!" he called out, prompting Amanda to grab Natalie and drag her to the floor. He pulled out his own gun but the assailant had already taken aim at Natalie. With no time to think, Nick dove into the path of the bullet as the man fired, taking a shot in the stomach. He grunted and fell to the ground as the man ran off, presumably panicked that he'd missed.

"Nick!" Amanda cried and started forward. In her head she must know he would be fine, but this was the first time he'd been injured since he'd been back and he could understand if she forgot for a second that he was Immortal too now. For a second he had almost forgotten as well.

"I'm fine, get Natalie to safety," he instructed. She did as he said as he scrambled to his feet and gave chase to the shooter.

He kept a grip on his stomach out of habit and it was strange to feel the wound healing beneath his fingertips. Although he'd put himself in harm's way often enough, he'd hardly been injured in the last ten years and never as badly as this. Luckily he had a dark shirt on that wouldn't show the blood.

He spotted the guy in the sweatshirt a few hundred yards ahead of him and picked up his pace, ignoring the rapidly receding pain in his gut. They were heading away from the main drag where most of the people attending the festival were and there were fewer people around. Nick paused to try and take a shot but the guy ran around a corner and into a side street.

"Dammit!" Nick cursed and gave chase once more. As he rounded the corner he was momentarily taken aback as the assailant was waiting for him and took a swing at him. Luckily the guy clearly didn't know how to throw a punch and he was shorter than Nick so the blow connected with his shoulder.

Nick quickly disarmed the man and delivered a blow to his chin, knocking him out cold.

"Huh, lousy shot and a glass jaw, tough luck, kid," he commented as the man sank to the floor.

Just then, the local gendarme arrived and Nick handed Natalie's attacker over to their custody.

Hours later, Nick finally finished giving his statement to the police and made his way back to the hotel to check up on Natalie. He found her in her room with Amanda; she seemed understandably shaken, but she was laughing and joking with Amanda when he entered.

"I got him," Nick reassured Natalie as he came in. "He won't be bothering you any more. How are you?"

"How am I? You were the one that got shot, Nick," Natalie replied. Amanda chuckled.

"Body armour is a marvellous thing," she said. Natalie looked sceptical.

"Body armour?"

"Yup, I'd suggest you wear some but it would spoil the cut of those lovely dresses."

Nick approached them and pulled up his shirt.

"Do I look like I've been shot in the stomach?" he said. Natalie reached out her hand to touch him.

"Hands off the merchandise, honey," Amanda joked. Natalie laughed.

"Thank you, Nick. Both of you. You've been the best security team I've had," she said.

"Just doing our jobs. We'll finish out the contract, just in case he wasn't your only stalker, but I'm sure there'll be no more trouble," Nick replied.

It was the final night of the festival, and there had been no trouble since the shooting. Natalie was attending her last event, a charitable fundraiser, and Nick and Amanda were outside making sure it was safe and waiting for her limo to arrive when they both felt the approach of an Immortal. Nick's hand went on instinct to his gun.

"You really have to learn not to do that," Amanda muttered to him.

"Better I go for my gun now than I go for my sword at the wrong moment," he replied.

They looked around them, trying to find the Immortal in the crowd and Nick's heart sank as he spotted Eric Thompson. He let out a small groan and Amanda turned to follow his eyeline.

"You know him?" she asked.

"That's Thompson," he replied as Thompson made his way toward them. "How'd you find me?" Nick asked once he was in earshot.

"Saw you guarding the starlet on E! You should have been more discreet," he replied. "We have unfinished business."

Nick took a step closer to try and intimidate the shorter man but Amanda stepped between them.

"Here is neither the time nor the place," she said. Thompson looked around at the press and gathered public and nodded.

"There's an abandoned warehouse at the opposite end of town. Be there at midnight."

"I look forward to it," Nick lied. Thompson glared at him and then slipped away through the crowd. Nick grabbed Amanda by the arm and started to lead her inside.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she protested.

"You are going to take care of Natalie, make sure she gets to her hotel safely."

"Are you leaving? Aruba is nice this time of year," Amanda asked and Nick was shocked to hear hope in her voice.

"Amanda, wherever I go he'll find me eventually. Besides, I promised Myers I wasn't going to skip out on him again," he replied. Amanda looked crestfallen, but she nodded her acceptance. "Promise me you'll stay out of this. Stay here and look after Natalie."

"I promise," she replied, a little too quickly. Nick glared at her and she had the decency to look ashamed. "I promise," she repeated and this time Nick believed her.

The building was due for redevelopment and it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the swish new apartments and bars; Nick found it easily. Thompson was waiting outside for him and he looked surprised that Nick had shown up. Once inside, away from prying eyes, Thompson drew a cutlass from his coat and turned to face Nick. But Nick drew his gun and pointed it at Thompson who sneered at him.

"So you're a cheat, too. Why am I not surprised?"

"I'm not going to cheat, Thompson. But I want you to listen to me and this way I know I have your full attention," he replied. "I don't want to fight you."

"Tough, that's the Game," he answered. "Now draw your sword."

"We can walk away, Eric, just get on with our lives. What has either of us done to the other that deserves this?"

"Draw. Your. Sword."

Nick shrugged and put down his gun before he drew his sword and took off his coat.

"I had to give you one last chance."

Thompson laughed.

"Pretty confident, aren't we? You'll be laughing the other side of your face once I cut it off," he said.

"Well, if your fighting is as good as your witty repartee, this will be over pretty quick," Nick replied.

Thompson yelled in rage and lunged forward, quickly closing the distance between them. Nick barely had time to bring his sword up to block him. The heavier cutlass clanged on the blade of the rapier, sending vibrations down Nick's arm, but he held onto his sword and stepped back to give himself room. Thompson pressed the attack, delivering two more blows from above Nick's head, but Nick held his blade horizontally in front of his face, guarding himself from Thompson's strikes. On the third blow, Nick took a small sidestep, allowing himself to parry with the stronger end of the blade, nearer the hilt, giving him a position of strength with which to push Thompson's blade away before bringing his own around for a sweeping cut across Eric's chest.

Thompson leaped back out of harm's way, the tip of Nick's sword ruffling his clothes as it swept by. Nick was already bringing his sword up to block Thompson's next attack, a wild arc that had no real direction to it. Clearly Thompson hadn't expected Nick to be able to fight; he wasn't very good and he was angry, which was making him sloppy.

Nick lowered his sword a little and took a step back and Thompson fell for the feint, rushing forward with his blade raised. He swung at Nick, who easily knocked the sword aside and stepped into the charge to drive his own blade deep into Eric's chest.

Shocked, Eric dropped his sword and it fell to the floor with a clatter as Nick pulled his blade out. Thompson fell to his knees, his mouth a round 'o' of surprise and Nick placed his blade against his neck. He looked up at Nick, eyes filled with hate.

"Go on then. There can be only one," he said with a sneer. Nick didn't move the sword, instead he shook his head.

"You have every right to be angry with me; I did take one life from you, but now I'm giving you a new one. Forever," he said. The irony of him repeating the very words Amanda had said when he died was not lost on him. "Walk away."

Thompson looked at him, a mixture of emotions evident on his face. Relief became the predominant one and he nodded so Nick lowered his blade. Eric scrambled to his feet and backed away from Nick, pausing only to retrieve his sword from where it lay.

"Don't think this is over, Wolfe. If I ever see you again, I will take your head," he said melodramatically before he turned and walked away.

"I doubt that," Nick muttered at his retreating back. He heard applause behind him and turned to find Amanda stood watching. She took a few tentative steps forward. "I thought I told you not to come."

"Part of me was worried that you might let him win," she said, uncharacteristically uncertain.

"And let a schmuck like that have my Quickening? I might owe him, but I definitely don't owe him that," Nick replied.

"Schmuck?" Amanda said amused. "He was obsessed, and you know as well as I how dangerous an obsessed man can be. He wanted revenge at any cost."

"Wanting to take my head though, it's a bit extreme," Nick said and shook his head. Amanda chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"Is it really? I mean, surely you of all people can see why he's so mad…"

"Well, that's exactly my point! I have every reason to…Amanda, you don't think I wanted to…Never!" Nick sounded angry, and Amanda actually took a step away from him, but he was only angry that she thought he could do such a thing. "I thought I'd made it clear that I've forgiven you," he said softly and closed the distance between them to pull her into his arms. "I've forgiven you Amanda, can't you forgive yourself?"

Wrapped tightly in his embrace, Amanda could only shake her head, which was buried against his chest. Nick could feel her tears making his shirt wet, so he lifted her chin and gently kissed her. After a moment, she relaxed into it and began to kiss him back. He still wasn't sure she believed him, but it was a start.


End file.
